Frigid
by AnEquivalentExchange
Summary: On their latest mission, Roy and Ed must go undercover as a father-son duo in order to stop top-secret alchemical information from being leaked.
1. Chapter 1

It started out well enough. A hum of intrigued curiosity, an inclination of the head, and thin, blond eyebrows angled in concentration. The usual pout had found its way to his face, the way it always did when the young alchemist gave any written work his undivided attention.

Roy sat behind his desk, watching his youngest subordinate with apprehension. His hands were ungloved as he sat in his office chair, his chin resting atop his steepled fingers. Time passed in silence and Roy waited for the impending storm to hit. He expected a harsh guffaw to come from boy's lips and yelling and immature stomping to ensue. Maybe even the report being thrown to the ground, an accusing finger pointedly thrown in the colonel's direction and the word "bastard" casually thrown around more than it should be by a thirteen year old boy.

But to Roy's surprise, Edward remained quiet, facial features pinched as he focused on the words in his assignment.

The boy hadn't been in Roy's charge for very long, maybe a little over a year at this point. Roy still knew next to nothing about the kid; he was from some rural farm town Roy had only visited that one time with a family of automail engineers who seemed kind even after Roy barged into their quiet home. He also knew Ed had a brother he'd protect at all costs, a father he seemed to dislike even more than Roy, and he blew up at the drop of a hat anytime "small" was used in his presence. Ed was brash, bold and pig-headed. He rarely did what he was told and managed to cost the state a hefty amount of money any time he actually did. But without any of those flaws, the colonel wasn't even sure if Ed would have been able to make it this far.

There was still so much Roy had to figure out about this kid—this child prodigy who just waltzed into the military, taking everything in stride. Maybe it was still possible for Ed to surprise him.

Without making any move to look up from the papers, Ed spoke in a low tone, no sign of anger or an oncoming rant. "So, what you're saying is," he began, his eyes finally flicking up from the sheaf of papers, "you think some of the state's alchemical information is being leaked?"

Roy nodded firmly. "That's the rumor anyway." Edward peeked up at him over the assignment, eyebrow raised. Roy pushed himself away from his desk and stood. He made his way to the window, staring out at the military grounds below with his hands held behind his back. "This matter has to be stopped before the Drachmans make good on whatever information they're receiving. Our relations with the country have been frigid at best, and there's no telling what they could be plotting once they're able to use our own alchemical powers against us. So this mission is of top priority."

"And the mission…" Ed muttered slowly, as if the realization of what he had to do was slowly dawning on him. Roy heard a crinkle of paper as Ed set the assignment down. "You and I…me and…"

Roy didn't turned away from the window. A wind swept across the military grounds just outside, in the distance a green Amestrian flag flapped and curled in the gust. "I don't like it any more than you, Fullmetal. As a colonel, it isn't my place to go into the field on a mission such as this. But it seems under these time restraints and the importance of this mission, we can't choose to be picky."

The plan seemed simple enough. Roy was certain his team would by no means have any difficulty pulling it off. The only factor that worried him was a certain blond alchemist and his refusal to do as he was told.

Edward and he were to go undercover in the small town just near the Drachman border, where the information was said to be leaked. Of course, investigating meant going in disguise. Going as Fullmetal and Flame would blow their cover and have their perpetrators fleeing before anything was even uncovered.

Oh, how Roy envied the rest of his team, who would be hiding out throughout the town in case the colonel needed quick back up.

So disguises were the only option. He was playing a man looking for work with his son, who would promptly be enrolled into the town's only school. In the small border town they were heading into it was certain everyone knew everyone and their business. Having a man and his "son" moving in suddenly and not playing the part as a normal family would surely raise suspicion.

Roy heard Ed stand abruptly, heavy boots thudding to the floor and automail limbs creaking. "But why does it have to be me and you? I don't even want to _pretend_ to be your son!"

The colonel turned away slightly, glaring at his young subordinate from the corner of his eye. "The rest of my team will be there as well, undercover, and keeping an eye out for us while we investigate."

Edward gritted his teeth as he spoke next. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. "That didn't answer my question, Mustang."

Roy sighed, turning fully and pressing his hands onto his large, wood desk. "As an alchemist, your knowledge and skill may be very useful to us on this mission. Even if you're not," Roy muttered the last part, turning his face away.

Ed crossed his arms indignantly. "At least _I'm_ still useful when it's raining outside."

Mustang took a long, controlling breath, the way Hawkeye had shown him, and decided to ignore the boy's retort. "Regardless," he said coolly, "we can't just send you in alone. Going in as a son and father team would be the least conspicuous. The rest of my team is too young to play that part. Hell, even I'm pushing it."

Edward smirked suddenly. "Say that to the gray hair, Mustang." He pointed offhandedly to his temple.

Roy frowned. "I'm not even thirty yet, Fullmetal."

Ed shrugged superiorly. "Coulda fooled me."

The colonel sighed, knowing Ed was just trying to get a rise out of him. On most occasions, he knew he would have risen to the bait. But Roy was no happier about this than Ed; he was too tired to fight back. He turned back to the large windows, staring outside once again. "I'll send someone to pick you up tomorrow morning at six am sharp. Please be ready. And leave your brother here."

Ed sputtered. "I'm _not_ leaving Al behind!"

Roy quickly rebutted, knowing full well even before he mentioned it that Ed would refuse to leave his brother. "Be rational," he said. "Nothing says 'suspicious' like a seven foot tall suit of armor. We're trying to remain inconspicuous, Edward. Bringing Alphonse along could possibly blow our whole cover." He turned back to his subordinate, waiting to see how he'd react.

"Oh yeah?" His voice rose. "And what happens if I refuse to take part in your dumb mission? What's in it for me anyway?"

The colonel sat back down in his seat, organizing papers he knew he would never complete into neat piles, and pointedly not looking at Ed. "Some of the government's top alchemical records are at stake here. If we are able to rescue them, you may be able to find within them a way to achieve your goal. Or have you already forgotten the real reason you joined the military, it certainly wasn't an act of patriotism."

Edward remained quiet, seething and looking for a good argument but finding none. "Believe it or not," Roy continued, "Alphonse is very capable of handling himself while you're away."

Ed turned away, crossing his arms once again. "How long is this going to take?" he asked petulantly.

Roy smirked. "Shouldn't take too long, as long as you cooperate this time."

Ed's face reddened and he frowned deeply. "Six am?" he said, pouting in a way that reminded Roy that Ed was still a kid.

Roy smiled, knowing he had the kid now. "Promptly. Make sure you're ready for anything, Fullmetal."

* * *

_[A/N: ahhhh starting a new story! This plot sounds totally cliche to me and I'm sure it's probably been done before in some sort of way, but it seemed so fun to write, so I just had to. Additionally, I wanted to explore Roy and Ed's relationship more and this seemed to me the way to do it. Sorry, the first chapter seems so short to me, but I just wanted to get it out there. Hope you enjoy!]_


	2. Chapter 2

"It'll only be a few days, I promise."

"I'll be alright, Brother."

Edward paused folding the shirt in his hands. "This is so dumb. It's just wasting time that could be spent on what _really_ matters." Ed stood up from his suitcase, moving toward the small dorm's only door. "I'm gonna call Mustang and tell him I don't want any part of his idiotic plan."

Alphonse stood up with a cacophony of metal limbs moving. "Brother, don't—" He stopped when Ed halted, his back facing Al. "You know you can't do that. Besides, Colonel Mustang told you this might help us. It might not be a totally waste of time."

Edward remained silent; his shoulders were rigid. Eventually he released a sigh, his small body slumping forward as he stood there in nothing but boxers and a loose t-shirt.

"Please just finish getting ready. It's almost six."

"I know," Ed moaned. He stomped back to his open luggage with a toss of his head. "But if that bastard colonel gets on my nerves, I swear…"

"_Ed,_" Alphonse warned. "The colonel has given us a lot of opportunities these past two years. Don't you think you could give him a chance? I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad. You two could talk about alchemy together—you've heard the rumors about how good he is."

Ed shook his head, resuming the folding of his clothes and placing them in his old suitcase. "Just say the word, Al. If one thing goes wrong here just tell me and I'll be on the first train back and we can just forget about this whole mission."

"Brother…nothing is going to happen to me. You should be more worried about staying undercover. Please stay out of danger. And try to behave, okay?"

Ed turned around to look at his brother. He couldn't see any expression in Al's helmet but he could hear the tiredness in his voice. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to live with pompous jerk."

"Just," Al sighed and it echoed throughout his armor, "please try to get along with the colonel, Brother, please."

Edward turned away. He flipped the latches on his suitcase and pulled on his clothes.

He could hear the shifting of metal as his brother moved. "You finally ready, Brother?"

"Just one more thing," Ed said around the hair tie between his teeth as he began plaiting his hair. He pulled the tie out, securing his braid back firmly.

"What is it?" Al asked curiously.

Ed turned around and gave a defeated sigh, shoulders slouched. "Please shoot me."

* * *

The cold morning air was crisp as they made their way to the northern terminal of the train station. The sky was pale pink, fading into a light blue with the coming of morning. Steam from the engines rolled across the edge of the platform and completely engulfed the bottoms of the trains.

Even if it was only a quarter after six, the train station was bustling. People jostled past each other without so much as a glance up from their maps. Some were making beelines toward their departing trains while others were waiting for relatives or friends to step off those just arriving. People shouted to one another and train whistles blared atop the discord of human noises.

Stepping onto the interior of the train was like going into a whole other world from the one just outside. The car was silent and nearly empty. The few passengers sat scattered about, several rows separating everyone. Some sat, eyes closed and heads leaning against the large windows. Others chatted quietly while others read from novels or newspapers.

Edward's heavy footfalls, soon followed by Mustang's, as he searched for the right seat were the only thing to break up the quiet. Ed eventually settled for an unoccupied booth far away from any of the other passengers.

He turned around in the quiet, noticing Mustang was the only one still beside him. Ed frowned. "Where are Lieutenant Hawkeye and the others?" he asked in a hushed tone that still seemed too loud in the quiet compartment.

Roy stuffed his hands in his pockets, opting to lean in and whisper, "They're in a separate car. Traveling with several military officials would raise too much suspicion, even this early on in the mission. And suspicion is something we're trying to avoid, Ed."

"Great," Ed muttered, turning away. Standing on his tiptoes, Ed hefted his suitcase above his head, struggling to place it in the overhead compartment. He grunted in frustration, knowing he was just out of reach. The luggage suddenly grew substantially lighter in his outstretched hands as the colonel reached over, easily placing it into the compartment.

"I'm guessing Al usually does this for you?" he asked with a smug grin.

Edward's eye twitched and he quickly yelled, "What, you think I'm too short to handle my own luggage?!"

Roy was quick to shh him. "Inside voices please," he murmured, signaling to the other passengers who were not eyeing the pair curiously.

Cheeks growing warm, Ed frowned deeply. "Shut up." He turned away quickly throwing himself onto the nearest bench.

The train whistle blared outside, and the train pulled out of the station.

Roy sat down heavily on the opposite seat opposite to Ed's, resting his elbows tiredly on his knees. "I hope you looked over the assignment more thoroughly after our briefing."

"Yeah, yeah." Ed spread his legs out across the length of the seat. "Try to act as 'unsuspicious' as possible. Got it."

"That's right," Roy said, relaxing further into his chair as the train began to pick up speed. "We're just average citizens, okay? No alchemy in public. Try not to draw attention to yourself and please keep the yelling to a minimum."

Ed scoffed, folding his arms up to his chin and he slid down further in his seat.

"The weather should be rather cold during our stay, so gloves should suffice when it comes to keeping your automail hidden."

Roy knew Ed had a habit of keeping it out of sight most of the time anyway for a variety of reasons, but that didn't keep an uneasy look from crossing the boy's face. "I'll show my automail if I want to."

"While automail isn't uncommon, it may draw more unwanted attention than necessary. Isn't that why you wear gloves anyway?" Ed shrugged reluctantly. "It seems the further north you go in this country, the less automail you see considering much of the industry thrives in the southern part of Amestris, where the Eastern Rebellion was worst."

"Fine," Ed spat sounding none too happy about it and even less happy to get a lecture. Even though it was obvious to the both of them he would have concealed his mechanical arm anyway, hearing Roy enforce the rule rubbed Ed the wrong way and suddenly made him want to do the very opposite.

"Also, once we're settled into town please try to dress more…casually," Roy said in a gentler tone, eyeing Ed's usual bright red coat, black and leather garments and combat boots.

Ed blinked at the ceiling and his eyes rolled over to look at Roy once they opened. He gave the colonel an unreadable look then blinked and turned back. "Shut up," he said finally, pulling his crossed arms in tighter. "There's nothing wrong with my style. Besides, I don't have that many clothes anyway. What's the point of having more than a suitcase's worth of clothes when Al and I are always traveling?"

Roy found himself pressing his casual button down shirt. "Just…try to cooperate, Edward."

* * *

They spent hours riding eventually in a comfortable silence, only stopping once to switch trains partway through their journey. Once they had gotten settled, Ed began reading while the colonel tried to get some papers done before the lieutenant could shoot him for procrastinating. Ed went through book after book, all related to alchemy, Roy noted. Edward didn't say a word the whole time, he barely even moved, his mind too absorbed in the passages.

Once the sun set behind the rolling hills outside the train window and it became too dark to do anything of much importance, Roy set his papers aside and opted for watching the landscape flash by instead. As they neared the tail end of their journey, Roy could make out small snow flurries flying past the window. The small white flakes sparkled and danced in the train's wake. Roy leaned his head against the window, noticing how cold the glass felt against his head.

He peered over at his companion and was surprised to find Edward asleep with an open book resting on top of his stomach. And though he snored, Roy couldn't remember a time the boy had ever been quieter. Roy smiled at that thought before allowing his eyes to close as well.

Not much time passed before the train whistle blew once more, jarring Roy back into alertness. The train slowed not long after, and the other passengers immediately began filing out of the car's exit.

Roy stretched his arms above his head, arching his back. "Edward," he yawned, "get up."

The boy didn't even stir. Roy sighed and pushed himself up. He grabbed Ed's suitcase and nudged him gently with the corner of it. "_Ed,_ come on, get your tiny body moving."

"Hn." Edward twitched. His features pinched together as he regained consciousness. Blearily, his eyes flickered open and his sight was drawn to the darkness outside the window. The book fell from his chest and a piece of hair was caught in the corner of his mouth.

"We're here," Roy said. "Let's go."

Ed looked back up at Roy as if just remembering what he was doing there. He rubbed at his eye, slowly standing. He grabbed the suitcase from Roy's grasp, wobbling slightly as he fully awoke. "Fine, fine, let's go."

The two stepped out onto the platform, and Roy led the way out of the small station, using a map Hawkeye had thankfully given him. "Now," he began, "our house shouldn't be too far from here. So we're walking."

"Walking?" Ed halted. "I'm not walking in _this._" He gestured widely to the flurries slowly making their descent to the pavement underfoot where they weren't even sticking.

"The town is small," Roy explained. "Think smaller than your hometown. You'll be fine in the cold for a couple of minutes." He continued forward, not waiting for Ed to reply. He couldn't help an internal sigh of relief however once he heard the kid's footsteps following his once again.

* * *

The map didn't lie, and they found themselves walking up the stone walkway of their pseudo house within ten minutes. The two remained remained silent as Roy jiggled the key into the lock and opened the door.

Edward sighed in relief as the warmth of the house hit him. He pushed past Roy and into the small residence. His cheeks were tinted pink from the cold but he smiled still.

"See, that wasn't too bad, was it?" Roy smirked, stepping into the entrance as well.

Ed threw him a glare but said nothing.

"Now get settled in and then go to bed. You have school in the morning remember." Roy paused after the words left his mouth. He couldn't help but think how…domestic the words sounded. As if he really was talking to his son and not his subordinate.

Ed's whined broke Roy from his odd thoughts. "Are you serious?" he asked, throwing his head back to look at him. "Can't I skip one day? It's already two am."

"No," Roy answered flatly. "You slept through half the train ride anyway. Besides, the sooner we get this over with the sooner we can leave, alright?"

"Then what are you going to be doing tomorrow when I'm at school?" he said the last word like it didn't fit right in his mouth.

"I'll begin investigating on my own. You can join me after you're finished. And keep an eye out for any suspicious activity while you're in the school, Fullmetal. We can't cross any place off our lists until we're positive."

"Yeah, like someone's really doing illegal activity in the middle of some dumb public school," Ed grumbled and wandered off into the house.

Roy securely locked the door behind him then began searching the small house living quarters. There was a kitchen with a dining table to his left and on the other side of the entry was the living room. It had a couch, chairs, a coffee table and even a fireplace, but beyond that was nothing special. Down the hallway before him were a bathroom, two bedrooms across from one another and a door that opened up to a tiny closet.

Roy sighed. Already he was missing his own home and more importantly his own bed. He turned into the bedroom Ed hadn't claimed and began unpacking his belongings into the room's only dresser. He placed his transmutation gloves and even his pocket watch in the bedside drawer where they were hidden from view but still ready at a moment's notice just in case.

Even at the late hour, Roy found himself drawn to the small bathroom not long after he had settled in. The room had a meager supply of toiletries, but it would do. All he cared about now was showering away the exhaustion that came with traveling then getting as much sleep as possible.

Finally, with no more new developments and nothing else to worry about until the morning, Roy allowed himself to begin to relax.

Just as that thought finished in his mind, a loud pounding began on the door, metal hand bashing against the thin wood.

"Colonel!" Ed yelled. His pounding ceased just long enough to shout through the door. "Colonel! Get out! I need to take a hot shower!"

Roy didn't even try to bite back a long, heavy sigh. He turned to the door. "Go away, Fullmetal. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm busy."

If Edward had heard his commanding officer beyond his pounding, he didn't let on. "Colonel!" _Bang bang bang_. "Open up! I'm not kidding!"

"You can take a shower in the morning."

The knocking stopped abruptly and Roy paused, staring at the door. He gave a sigh of relief when the racket did not start up again and Ed remained silent. Maybe he was finally going to listen to Roy for once.

There was a high-pitched screech accompanied by a sudden flash of blue electricity. Roy jumped back violently, grabbing onto the counter to keep him from tumbling over.

The door swung open, and Roy could see now that the lock and knob had been mutilated with alchemy. Ed strode in as Roy struggled quickly to cover himself with a nearby towel.

"Dammit, Fullmetal! What the hell! Can't you see the bathroom's occupied?"

Ed stopped inside the door way, hands on his hips, nose upturned and a pointed frown on his face. "What are you gonna do, court martial me?"

"I can try," Roy said, trying to sound authoritative, but the effect was lost considering he was in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. "Now get out." He grabbed Ed roughly by the shoulder before he could argue further, and spun him around, shoving him out the door as best he could with one hand, while his other held on tightly to his towel.

"Jerk." Ed's yell was muffled by the door slammed in his face. He slapped the door once in vain. Roy leaned against the door to hold it closed until he heard Ed stomped away down the hall, casually yelling to himself. "Everyone knows you're useless when you're wet! Why do you even bother showering!" His bedroom door slammed shut, but Roy could still hear Ed as he presumably fell into his bed, calling him "idiot colonel."


	3. Chapter 3

Roy cursed every higher power he could think of that morning as he awoke before the sun had even fully risen from the horizon. He slapped a hand onto his ringing alarm clock and fell back into bed, arm still outstretched and hand paused atop the clock. He lazily dragged his free hand down his face and over his stubbly chin, mentally preparing himself to get out of bed and step into the cold air surrounding his warm nest of blankets.

Moments past and Roy felt himself beginning to doze off again. Gathering all the strength he could muster and burrowing deep into the covers one last time, the colonel inhaled deeply, and got out of bed, pulling a blanket away with him as he did.

Slowly, Roy shuffled down the hall, blanket wrapped around his shoulders and trailing behind him like a royal cloak.

_Coffee._ Coffee was the only thing on his mind as he maneuvered down the hall and into the petit kitchen.

After a bit of fumbling around with appliances in the pre-dawn darkness, he found the coffee maker and switched it on.

The machine gurgled and soon the pungent smell of coffee brewing filled the small house.

Roy stood, hip cushioned by the thick blanket as he leaned it against the counter, and took small sips of his scalding drink once it was done, thinking of what he would have to get done today.

His mind halted mid-thought. Roy slammed the mug down onto the counter with a curse, throwing himself into action. Mind preoccupied, he wiped the coffee that had splashed onto his hand onto the blanket as he stomped down the short hallway.

His hand slapped the closed wooden door loudly. "Fullmetal!" he called. "Are you awake?"

He gave Ed a second to reply, received none, and barged into the boy's room. Roy stopped at the threshold, half-expecting to see his subordinate in the midst of getting dress and turn to Roy, yelling at him for being a creep. But Roy was greeted by a quiet stillness in the rather dark room. His gaze turned to the bed and he found a heap of blankets piled upon the mattress.

Roy advanced toward the bed and as he moved closer he could see the pile of blankets moving up and down slowly. Ed's face was the only thing visible and even that was obscured by his length bangs, save for his mouth, which was hung open as Ed snored and drooled onto his pillow.

Roy shook his shoulder. "Hey," he said gruffly. "Fullmetal. C'mon."

Ed stirred slightly, muttered something sleepily into the pillow but gave no sign he was aware Roy was actually in his room.

"Edward?"

Ed's snoring resumed quietly. Roy gave a tried sigh and shuffled into the bathroom. He returned a moment later and proceeded in dumping the glass of water he had procured onto Ed's exposed face.

Ed shot up instantaneously, yelling and cursing with a special energy only he possessed, as if he hadn't even been asleep just a minute ago. He rubbed the water from his face, pushing his dripping bangs out of his eyes and glaring up at Roy, finally noticing his commanding officer standing before him, empty glass in hand and a no-nonsense look upon his drowsy face.

"What the hell was that for, you bastard?" Ed yelled, hands tightening into fists around the wet edge of a blanket.

"Oh, good," Roy drawled. "You're finally awake." He turned away with a lazy wave of his hand. "Get up, we're already running late and you have school to attend, Fullmetal."

"But did you really have to dump water on my face? Jeez." Ed seethed, finally climbing off the wet sheets.

"Hey, you wanted a shower, didn't you?" Roy said at the doorway without turning around.

"But that was freezing."

"Well, there's no time for one now. Hurry up."

"Have I ever mentioned that you're a jerk?"

Roy turned around to give the boy a slight smile. "It's been a while since you've reminded me." He left, closing the door on Ed's mutters and curses as he fumbled to get ready.

* * *

Roy was fully dressed and had finished his coffee when Edward entered the kitchen, making a beeline past Roy and to the fridge.

"It's a bit late for me to make anything for breakfast now," Roy commented from his spot against the counter.

Ed stood up from behind the fridge door and slowly shut it, smiling deviously at Roy. "S'okay. I wouldn't eat anything you made anyway."

Roy frowned, a bit insulted. He studied Ed as the boy picked up a roll from the pantry and began eating it. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and matching pants along with his usual combat boots and braided hair. Ed has taken the his advice, the colonel noted; after all it was still better than leather pants and a bright red jacket. Still, Roy couldn't help the amused smile that came to his face. "Is this what you consider casual, Fullmetal?" He crossed his arms, one hand still holding a now empty coffee mug.

Ed looked at him, eyebrows knit. "It's fine," he grumbled around a mouthful of roll. Too preoccupied with eating, Ed didn't argue further and just settled for an eye roll.

Roy turned away, glancing out the window above the sink. "The weather seems to have cleared up mostly from last night which is good. School's only about a five minute walk—"

"—_Uuughh—"_

"—just follow the main road going northwest." Roy pointed out the window. "Fullmetal?" He turned around to find Ed shrugging on his coat.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." He began to move lazily toward the front door but Roy stopped him.

"Also—"

"_What?"_

"Be careful," he warned seriously. "Look out for any suspicious behavior and report it to me as soon as you return. And most importantly—"

"—don't act suspicious either, try to blend in_. I know,_ Colonel. Can I go now? You're starting to piss me off more than usual and it's not even eight in the morning."

Roy nodded firmly with a smile that couldn't be helped. "You are dismissed."

* * *

The house was quiet once Edward had gone out the door. Roy finished getting ready in peace and ventured out into the cold not long after his subordinate, not entirely sure of his plan.

The most obvious thing to do would be to check the most suspicious places or those that seemed most likely to have anything to do with alchemy. Though it also seemed like a good idea to first get more information on the small town than he had already received from Hawkeye's research, so Roy set out into in search of more information.

He found himself first in a small store. This early in the day there were virtually no other customers, and only one employee behind the counter.

Shrugging on his personality as an average man looking for work, Roy strolled up to the counter, casually beginning a conversation with a friendly hello.

The employee had a hint of an accent as he greeted Roy with a genuine smile. "What can I help you with today, sir?"

"I, uh, just moved into town," Roy said casually. "I'm looking for work."

The employee frowned. "I'm sorry, sir, we are not hiring at the moment."

Roy smiled. "That's quite alright. Do you know of any establishments that are. I'm open to anything. Not sure if it'll help, but I've also dabble a bit in alchemy," Roy said slowly, watching the man for his reaction.

The man behind the counter frowned. "Alchemy? Not sure this town could help you there. We are not much for alchemy around here. We have a few local alchemists, not much more. Might I suggest going to Central if that is what you want to pursue, I hear their State Alchemist program is very good if you can get in."

"I think I'll pass on that. Never really liked the idea of being a dog of the military."

The employee laughed. "Not many people do, huh? Well, you may be able to find work down at the factory. That is where a lot of these good townsfolk earn their livings."

"Factory?"

The man nodded and pointed out the window at the store's front. "Yessir. It's just on the outskirts of town, to the east. Travel up Main Street a ways and you won't be able to miss it."

Factory on the outskirts of town? Now that sounded promising. Roy thanked the man and quickly made for the exit with a new hope that this would all be over sooner than he thought.

* * *

The small public school sat on the edge of town. It was the only school for miles and so children from all throughout the town flocked to it early that morning. As Edward neared the building, he could see adolescents ranging from all ages walking toward the entrance or milling around outside; some huddled in groups while some sat quietly, reading, and others waited for their friends to arrive.

He felt out of place the moment he stepped onto the school grounds. It had been _years_ since he had attended school. He, Al and Winry had attended regularly through their earlier years, even after his and Al's mother died. They had taken break while training with Teacher, had gone back briefly after returning to Resembool, but after the failed transmutation, well, school wasn't a high priority after that. Even Winry had quit not long after in order to pursue a future in the automail industry.

Overly conscious of the fact that he was alone now, Edward ventured into the building, trying to find the correct room number he remembered reading from the details of his assignment.

A shrill bell sounded from above head, ringing all the way down the halls, making Edward jump violently. He would have snickered at his skittishness had his mind not been occupied on the task at hand. The congestion in the crowded hallway began to lessen as his fellow classmates began filing into their respective classrooms.

Edward found his way into the correct classroom not long after the bell had fallen back into silence. He didn't think it would be noticeable that he was late—hell, back when he was in school, he and Al were almost _always_ late. But as Edward stepped into the classroom he noticed the tense silence as he felt all eyes fall onto him.

Ed's face quickly reddened and he looked around. _What the hell was he supposed to say?_

The clearing of a throat broke him from his thoughts and Ed turned his head around to find a teacher at the board, arms crossed over her chest and a piece of chalk between her fingers. "Can I help you, young man?" she asked, sounding none too ready to help.

"Um, uh," Edward stammered. He had always prided himself on being eloquent when it matter, but right now he was at a loss for words. "I…just transferred here?"

The woman fixed her round, wire rim glasses slowly then nodded, much to Ed's relief. "Ah, yes, I heard a new student would be joining us. I didn't think it would be this…sudden." He wondered if she saw his shoulders visibly relax.

Ed chuckled sardonically. "Yeah, me either."

She walked over to her desk, finding a paper. "What is your name?"

"Edward."

"Edward…?"

Ed opened his mouth but quickly closed it. He couldn't use his real name, could he? It hadn't been long since Ed had become a state alchemist, but he had accomplished quite a lot already for the state. Was it possible they would know him? What surname was the colonel using for his disguise?

Ed silently cursed that bastard for not thinking of this, or at least not telling Ed if he had.

"Hmm?" the woman inquired.

Ed looked up quickly, his blush deepening. "Flamel," he blurted out, using the first name that came to mind.

She looked at him dubiously then gave a tired nod before writing it down. She straightened back up and said, "Well, on behalf of the entire class, I give you a warm welcome."

Ed glanced at the other kids in the room, remembering then that they were being watched by a good twenty or thirty students. "Um, thanks."

"You may take a seat after you remove your coat and gloves and place them in a cubby in the hall."

Ed stared at her with a sense of dread shooting through his body. "Um, I…I'm actually fine leaving them on. It is a bit cold in here…"

She gave him a pointed look. "Mr. Flamel, it is against school policy to wear outside gear while in the classroom. I cannot let you take a seat until you take those off and securely put away."

A voice that sounded suspiciously like the colonel's intruded on Ed's thoughts. _Don't make a scene, just try to blend in._ Ed gave a hesitant nod, slowly pulling off his garments as he walked out of the classroom.

Ed shoved them in the first empty cubby he found. He walked back in to feel the eyes of his classmates on him once more. Ed could feel their gazes shifting to his right hand which he held self-consciously to his side and heard their curious whispers about automail as he took a seat in the back of the classroom and tried to disappear from sight.

* * *

_[A/N: WOW this chapter ended up being _a lot_ longer than anticipated (that always seems to happen to me) so I am splitting it into two chapters instead for the sake of consistent chapter lengths. So the second part/next chapter is nearing completion so that should be up within the next few days :) ]_


	4. Chapter 4

The factory had held no more information or leads than the shop Roy had visited earlier. It seemed to be nothing more than a simple steel factory. Roy was given a tour under the falsehood of inquiring about a job.

Workers milled around amidst the smoke and a metal. Roy watched them work, looking for anything suspicious. He looked for signs of resistance against the government or any traces of alchemy but found none. Roy couldn't even find any incriminating paperwork that might lead him further on his search.

Dejected, Roy walked back home that afternoon and decided to wait for Edward to return from school so they could search together. Maybe Fullmetal had even discovered something while he was gone.

Roy spent the last hour or so by himself studying the maps of the town and the factory he had found, trying in spite of finding nothing of use, to figure out just where the hell the information could be leaked from.

It wasn't until Roy heard the slow opening and closing of the front door, a shuffling of boots and an awkward call of, "I'm, uh, home, I guess," that he glanced up at the clock and consequently realized, "You're half an hour late, Fullmetal." He heard Edward moving around loudly in the entry, struggling to pull of his shoes. When Roy received no acknowledgement, he ventured out of the kitchen in search of his young subordinate. "What the hell took you so long?" he asked, halting in his steps as soon as the sentence left his lips.

"Sorry, I kinda got held up." Ed gave a strained laugh. There were flakes of snow dotting his gold hair and melting off his coat as the heat of the room transferred to his body. Roy glanced out the window and silently cursed, seeing the snow flurries slowly falling to the ground, where a thin layer of white had already settled. Roy had seen the clouds rolling in earlier but didn't think much of it. He had forgotten Ed had to walk home in whatever weather was coming. If Roy had known the snow was going to pick up again he would have at least sent Havoc to bring the kid back, but the colonel's mind was too preoccupied by the mission that he had forgotten he had someone else to look out for now.

But that wasn't what had caught Roy's attention. That wasn't even the worst of it. Ed was bent over slightly, left hand pressed tightly to his side. He was breathing heavily, as if every movement was a burden to make. Blood was leaking from his nose and a cut on his lip and had splattered across the front of his shirt.

"Edward, what the _hell_ happened?" Roy exclaimed, striding further.

Edward looked up quickly, actually flinching back at Roy's suddenly harsh tone. "I…" he started with a sniffle, then opted for rubbing his nose against the corner of his sleeve. He looked away when Roy leaned in further. "I got in a fight…" he muttered, his bangs obscuring his face from Roy's view.

"_A fight?"_ Roy yelled, more shocked than angry. "You were there _one day_, Fullmetal. How in the world did you get into a fight on your first day?"

"Look, it wasn't my fault," Ed argued, trying to limp past his superior. "Hey!" he yelled when Roy grabbed his elbow, trying to wrestle himself free.

"Quit struggling, you're gonna bleed all over the floor and I am not cleaning up your messes."

"Let go!"

"Come on, we have to get you cleaned up." He dragged a somewhat struggling Ed and deposited him on the couch. Roy grabbed the small first aid kit located in the closet and returned to find Ed slowly peeling off his jacket, muttering to himself and rubbing his head.

Roy placed the kit down on the coffee table and sat in front of the boy with a sigh. "So," he said, eyes on the kit as he began to pull out its contents, "aside from getting into a fight, how did everything go?"

"Just _fine,"_ Ed spat.

"That doesn't sound very reassuring," Roy mused. He grabbed a handful of tissues and held it out to Ed. "Here, now stop wiping it on your sleeve."

Ed grabbed the tissues, shooting Roy a distasteful look before holding the wad up to his bloodied nose.

"By the way, our last name is now Flamel. Great, cover story. You really thought it through, not giving us a last name and all."

"Ed, you can't just—that's not even a real last name."

"Of _course_ it is! Nicolas Flamel is one of the greatest alchemists to ever live! Anyone would be lucky to have that last name!"

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "That's not the point. The point is you need to blend in, and it seems you have done nothing but today."

Ed scoffed. "Well, _sorry_ I'm ruining your 'brilliant' mission. I didn't even want to do this. Al and I have more important things to do than have me play house with you for who knows how long."

Roy bit back an insult and grit his teeth in frustration. Ed was only a child and Roy wouldn't allow his anger to get the better of him. Though that had never stopped him before, but Ed was injured now and there were more important things at hand than bickering with the boy.

"Also we have a meeting with the principal tomorrow to talk about my behavior or whatever."

"Are you serious?" Roy yelled. "Have you forgotten we're on a mission? I don't have time for this! Neither of us does!"

"Hey, this wasn't my choice, Mustang!" Ed yelled back with matching fury, acknowledging his injuries. With a huff, Edward crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the couch, but the effect of the act was lost by the way he groaned from the movement and brought the tissue back up to his face.

Roy shook his head and closed his eyes with a tired sigh. Trying to dredge up a calm demeanor, he muttered, "Fine, Fullmetal, fine. We'll go to the meeting if that's what the school wants. Then it's right back to the mission, alright?"

Ed just rolled his eyes quietly.

"Now, come here. I need to get a look at you."

Ed waved him off, moving back slightly. "I'm fine. I can handle it myself."

"Really? Because at the door you looked ready to pass out, Fullmetal. As your commanding officer, I order you to let me look at your injuries. Especially if they have the possibility of impacting our mission. The sooner we get this over the sooner we can get on with this and you and Al can go back to causing me migraines together."

It might have been the pain talking or the utter exhaustion of arguing with the colonel constantly, but Ed gave in rather easily. "Fine," he sighed tiredly, pulling the wad of red-splotched tissues away from his face.

Roy pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and poured a good amount onto a piece of cloth. "So, uh, how did this fight start anyway?" he asked, giving Ed a suspicious look. He hoped Ed had more self-restraint than to just start wailing on innocent kids without a justified reason.

Ed seemed to read Roy's thoughts and he gave the colonel an indignant look before wincing back as the antiseptic came in contact with his split lip.

"Hold still."

Ed cursed before continuing. "I didn't want to," Ed admitted. "The other kids started it, I was just defending myself."

Roy remained silent as he moved on, noting Ed's developing black eye, and began cleaning the small cut he had received on his forehead.

Roy pulled the cloth away once satisfied with his work and in the silence Ed looked up at him. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I never said that." Roy leaned forward, prodding at Ed's red and swollen nose. The boy immediately pulled back. "Hmm. Doesn't seem to be broken. Anyway, it's just that I've seen you blow up over some very idiotic things over this past year, Fullmetal. One can never be sure what you'll do next. Here—wipe your face." He shoved a bundle of tissues at Ed.

With a sour face, Ed grabbed them. He dabbed at his wounds in the silence as Roy prepared a bandage.

"I _am _telling the truth," Ed said as Roy placed the bandage securely onto his forehead. He turned his eyes away slightly, muttering, "I wouldn't go picking a fight for no reason…"

"Alright, Fullmetal," Roy replied wearily. "Now take your shirt off."

Ed blushed immediately and quickly turned his face away. "It's not that bad."

"Fullmetal, don't lie to me."

Ed's gaze shifted, looking at anything but the colonel sitting before him. Slowly, hesitantly, he slipped the long sleeved shirt above his head, wincing and shivering as he did.

Roy frowned, taking in the sight. There were large bruises scattered across Ed's abdomen, red and purple splotches on his stomach and ribs amidst a few, shallow cuts.

"Is it bad?" Ed asked, as if afraid to look.

Roy's eyes weren't on the injuries anymore. He found himself unable to turn away from Ed's automail, where the metal prosthetic latched onto his shoulder. The scar tissue around the metal was jagged and thin, tracing all the way around Ed's shoulder.

The mechanism itself seemed bigger, bulkier than usual. It made Ed seem even smaller and younger compared to the metal machine that was a part of him.

Edward was the only person Roy knew personally that had automail and yet he had never seen it like this. He had seen Ed's hand and maybe his arm on occasion, but usually the teen covered up both his prosthetics as much as possible.

Seeing the automail arm now made Roy feel as if he were intruding on something deep and personal to Ed. He knew Ed had automail, had always known that, he had even seen the kid before his limbs had been installed. But he never really _thought_ about them. Never saw Ed as anything else but _Ed._ But the automail gave Roy an odd feeling now, like he was seeing whole new part of Ed's life that he wasn't supposed to know about.

"Well?" Ed asked, breaking up Roy's thoughts.

Roy shook his head clear "Nothing serious, but you'll be pretty sore for a while." He had been worried at first about internal bleeding, but the injuries didn't seem to be that bad. He set to work, doing what he could for the remaining cuts.

Ed opened his mouth hesitantly as Roy began bandaging his torso. He closed it then opened it again a moment later, taking in a small breath before speaking. "It was after school when I was about to start walking back. Three—no—four guys came up to me, starting pestering me about my automail. I don't know if they were just curious or just trying to mess with me but they started grabbing at it and touching it and—I could let them dishonor Winry like that," he murmured with a slight red tint to his cheeks. "She works hard on my automail and not just anyone can touch it, I don't like it either. So I shoved them off and I may have said a few choice words but they started challenging me and shoving me for being stuck- up about it or whatever. It was so dumb but things escalated quickly before we finally got pulled apart."

Roy didn't say a word as Ed spoke, placing bandages along Ed's body and remained silent once they had both finished.

Roy's eyes lingered back to Ed's metal arm. So this was because of his automail. "Ed, you didn't…"

Ed seemed to notice Roy's gaze and his metal fingers twitched into some semblance of a fist. "No," Ed answered quietly. "The cold made my arm freeze up. I couldn't fight with it, so those guys weren't hurt bad. Hell, I got off worse than they did."

Roy frowned, his gaze drifting. It had been Ed against four other boys when he didn't even have the means to fight them. It was obvious from his appearance he had received the worst of the fight. Roy felt a sudden anger surge inside him and he had half a mind to find those kids and show them exactly what the flame alchemist was capable of. No one messed with a member of his team without paying the fiery price.

Roy swallowed his anger, silently vowing to do something about those kids later. He turned to his subordinate. Gently, he asked, "Does that happened often to your automail?"

Ed shrugged as best he could, shifting his arm slightly. "Only when it gets cold out. Even then it's rare unless I go directly outside into it."

"Is there anything to help that?"

Ed looked down as if contemplating whether or not to answer. "A hot shower," he said pointedly. Roy frowned, remembered their squabble the night before, but Ed continued seriously, "Usually when it gets bad Al will heat up some cloths for me to put on my ports." He looked down at his hands, for once actually looking his age.

That made sense from what Roy knew about the body. Residual limbs tended to be rather troublesome when the weather got bad. That might also explain the slight limp Ed had now. Roy could imagine the brothers alone in their dorm on a rather cold or rainy day, and Alphonse would take on Ed's role as the caretaker for the time being, giving Ed heated cloths or whatever other remedies there were until Ed's pain passed and the storm blew over.

Roy had never thought about it before because Ed and Al always seemed so energetic and ready to take on the world but those boys had no one to take care of them but each other. Of course Ed took care of his brother, Al was the most important thing in the world to Ed, but Alphonse must take care of Ed as well. At least in private, when Ed could take down his wall because only Alphonse was there. The thought of that made Ed seem so much more vulnerable, to know that he was taken care of in that sort of way on what seemed like a regular basis, or at least regular enough that Ed was off-handed about why it happened and knew exactly how to cure it. Vulnerable was not a word Roy ever associated with Ed, not even when Roy had found him crippled in a wheelchair. Even then Ed held a rare sort of strength.

Roy suddenly wanted to protect the boy before him; he knew he never wanted to see Ed's peculiar sort of strength fade out. But watching him stare down desolately at his hands while he waited for Roy to respond, Roy found it difficult to think that this was the same bold and boastful boy he had come to know over the past year.

Roy heaved himself up. "Alright," he said lightly. "In the meantime, put your shirt back on and covered up or something, there are spare blankets in the closet if you need more."

He heard Ed grunt in acknowledgement as Roy left the room.

Once he returned, he found Ed wrapped in a bundle of blankets and sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace. The fire cast an orange hue across the room as the light began to dwindle outside as winter's premature night took its hold on the town.

Roy settled down on his haunches beside Ed, dropping the cloths down onto the boy's lap. "I know I'm not Alphonse but I'm sure these will be fine. And here, I thought tea might help."

Ed's golden eyes flickered to Roy's outstretched hand. His mouth opened, his mind prepared to make a sarcastic retort as it always was around the colonel, but this time there was none to make. Ed shut his mouth and quietly took the mug in his left hand. "Uh, thanks."

Roy moved back over to the couch. He heaved a tired sigh as he fell back onto the cushions. "After that I think it's best you get some rest."

Ed turned around, peeking over his layers of blankets to look at Roy. "What about the mission? We can't just sit around relaxing like we're on vacation!"

"Ed, do you really think you're ready to go out right now? Do you want to go back out there when the snow's still falling? You're not prepared to handle military action right now."

"Well, we can't just sit around doing nothing."

"One evening isn't going to hurt. Look, Fullmetal, I'm exhausted, you're injured. Neither of us really want to go out in _that_ right now, do we? Besides, now we've got this meeting of yours to go to."

Ed turned away, grumbling as he took a sip of tea.

"Just relax for now, Fullmetal. You do know how to do that, don't you?"

Roy didn't have to see Ed's face to know he was rolling his eyes. He heard the boy scoff into his mug. "Shut up. Don't talk to me about relaxing—you slack more than anyone I know."

Roy knew he couldn't argue with that.

* * *

The colonel stayed up late that night even as his eyes began to blur with exhaustion and his tired mind begged for sleep. He couldn't tell how much time had passed as he sat at the kitchen table, reading over his papers. The kitchen was dark at this hour and the only things visible in the room were those inside the orange pool of light given off by the lantern Roy had set on the table. The flame flickered and was beginning to die, making Roy have to strain his tired eyes further.

He really needed to get to bed, he told himself, but made no move to get up from his seat.

It wasn't until he heard footsteps softly approaching that Roy truly broke his concentration. He hadn't even heard Ed get up but now his footfalls could be heard not far from the kitchen's entryway. His steps were lighter than usual but Roy could make out the distinct sounds between Ed's metal and flesh foot.

He heard Ed jump and bite back a gasp of surprise as he walked into the kitchen. "Colonel…" he murmured, embarrassed. "I-I didn't think you'd still be up."

Roy laced his fingers together and watched as Ed walked in, passing him and stepping into the light cast off by the lantern. "Same goes to you. I thought you went to bed hours ago," he said to Ed's back, which was draped with a thick blanket.

Roy saw Ed bristle slightly at the comment. "I did but I…couldn't get back to sleep," Ed answered almost inaudibly. He opened the fridge door in the ensuing silent.

Roy blinked at the sudden light. "Did you have a nightmare?" There was no way Ed didn't get them at least on occasion. Ed may put up a strong front but Roy knew that's exactly what it was: a front. Possibly manufactured for his younger brother's sake, but at night was when the demons took hold and you were powerless to stop them from intruding your dreams. Roy knew that from experience.

Ed, who was now halfway in the fridge, pulling out an assortment of goods, paused. He resumed after a moment without a glance in Roy's direction. "It's none of your business," he answered back bitterly.

"I get them too, Ed. It's okay," Roy said in a hushed tone. On an occasional bad night, Roy could still remember the flames born from his own hands, see burned and mutilated corpses, hear the screams of those he incinerated. Roy never talked about them though, not even with his lieutenant; though he knew she was haunted by similar memories. But this was different. Ed needed an ally, especially after having a rather terrible day. Roy wondered if he had ever had anyone to rely on before. He had Alphonse, but Roy doubted Ed would ever trouble his little brother with something like that. Maybe he and Ed could finally find something in common, even if it was their shared misery.

But Edward remained silent. Either taking Roy's words as patronization or maybe he didn't believe Roy at all. Maybe he just didn't care what Roy had to say; he never had before.

Ed retrieved something else from the fridge and closed the door with his automail foot, plunging the room back into semi-darkness.

"What are you doing?" Roy asked, watching the boy as closely as he could in the minimal light.

"I went to bed without dinner. Now I'm hungry," Ed muttered.

Roy just sighed. He listened to Ed fumble around for a moment before stating, "You still have to wake up early tomorrow, Fullmetal. You know that right? I'm not having you fall asleep during that damn meeting tomorrow."

Ed didn't answer. He left everything on the counter and pulled out the nearest chair, which happened to be next to Roy, placing his plate quietly on the table. He picked at an edge of crust on his sandwich before taking a bite. After swallowing Ed looked up with a new determination and blurted, "I don't want to do this anymore, Colonel."

Roy sighed. Ed's eyes refused to waver from his superior; his gold pupils seemed even brighter in the lantern's light. What was he supposed to say to the kid? "We're already here, Fullmetal, just _try_ to cooperate."

Ed features pinched in dissatisfaction and he found a renewed interest in his sandwich. He ate in silence and Roy went back to looking for clues within his papers.

Ed pushed the plate away with a quarter of the sandwich still left. "Find any more information?" he asked without much enthusiasm, and giving the maps in Roy's hands a nod.

Roy glanced up. "Not much. Though there are a few more places I'd like to check out tomorrow. I think we might be onto something. At least I hope we are."

"Good," Ed blurted. "The sooner we get out of this hell the better."

Roy placed the papers down. "You know, Fullmetal, you're not the only one unhappy about this arrangement. Do you honestly think I find this enjoyable? You know, it might actually be tolerable if you weren't so negative about the whole thing."

"Oh, and you're so positive about this, Colonel?"

He wasn't in the mood to argue with Ed. He honestly felt bad for the kid and what he had gone through at school, but he wasn't about to coddle him, especially when Ed's bad attitude was making this whole situation entirely more sour than it needed to be. "More than you."

Ed placed his palms down on the tabletop. "Just—figure out some damn clues. I don't need to be here with you and your smug attitude. I made a promise to my brother and you're just wasting my time right now. You piss me off on a regular basis, like hell I'd ever want you to pretend to be my father. This is so ridiculous."

Roy breathed in slowly, trying to squelch his anger. But he had been doing that a lot lately and dammit, it felt good to argue with Fullmetal when he thought his self-righteous attitude came out. "Well right back at you, pipsqueak—" Ed jumped up, ready to shout but Roy matched his defiance. "With that attitude, you can be damn sure I'd never want you for a son. You're so damn hot-headed and ill-tempered all the time, I don't who would ever want to be your fath…" The word died on Roy's tongue as he realized what he had said. Ed's face was unreadable as he fell back into his chair, refusing to look at his commanding officer; Roy did the same. The sudden heat of their argument had died, not even leaving embers in it's weak.

Ed finally responded with a quiet, self-pitying "No." He continued, "You're right."

Roy reached out a hand weakly. "Ed…I didn't mean that…"

Ed pushed his hand away. "Well, it's the truth anyway, okay? That bastard never wanted either of us. Why should I ever expect something different from anyone else?"

"Edward," Roy answered gently, feeling helpless. He silently cursed himself for being so insensitive. The poor kid was only thirteen, but he had been raising himself and his brother for years after their father had left and their mother died. It would be a tender spot for anyone, but after everything Ed had gone through because his father had not been around, it was unforgivable for Roy to throw that back in Ed's face.

There was no way he could ask Ed to forgive him; what the _hell_ was he supposed to say to the kid, who was just sitting there sullenly now, all the fight drained out of him in a way Roy had never seen before.

"Ed," he tried again but the boy didn't look at him. "I…I'm sorry. I'm an idiot and you didn't deserve that. You're a good kid, okay? But dammit, you're just so ill-tempered sometimes. You know that, I know that, hell, I think all of Amestris is on its way to learning that," Roy said lightly.

When Ed didn't respond, Roy leaned over hesitantly and placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Fullmetal…you're a tough kid and you've gone through a lot and come out of it even stronger. I'm sorry you never had anyone there for you and Al before. You deserved to have someone with you then, and maybe you wouldn't have made the same mistakes, maybe things would have turned out better, but you're doing alright on your own. And now you've got me and the Lieutenant and the rest of us at East HQ if you ever need someone, alright?"

Ed gave a deaf nod, as if he didn't really believe the colonel's words.

"You don't need a father, hell, I doubt you'll ever need us, you and Al are doing just fine. I _know_ you brothers will get your bodies back someday. And you won't need anyone else but yourselves to do it. You're both strong enough and _stubborn_ enough to make that happen. Do you understand me, Fullmetal?"

Ed looked up at the colonel with a look of bewilderment on his face. Roy never spoke to him like that; it was always insults and banter with them. Roy would have felt awkward about it himself if he didn't believe so genuinely in every word he said and if he didn't believe Ed needed to hear those words right now. The colonel was never one to be so gentle and heartfelt to his youngest subordinate, and to hear such belief and encouragement from the one person Ed never expected it from, Ed couldn't help but be amazed. But even beyond that surprise was a look of utter appreciation. He nodded softly and gave a small, genuine smile. "Yessir."

Ed looked away from Roy and rubbed at his tired eye.

Roy clapped his hand once more onto Ed's shoulder reassuringly before standing. "Now let's head back to bed, alright?

Ed nodded without comment and Roy helped him up, careful of the boy's injuries.

They walked in a comfortable silence and parted ways at Ed's bedroom. Ed said something quietly that may have been "good night" and Roy was certain he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

Roy smiled fondly for a moment and closed the door gently, wondering when he had begun using the word "fondly" when describing Edward Elric.

* * *

**[A/N: I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone that has reviewed/followed/favorited and continues to do so, I appreciate it a lot! And I hope you guys like this chapter because I know I had fun writing it!**

**Also there's only a few chapters left already-I planned on this being a fairly short fic, but even so the times to have flown by!]**


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